Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-04-01
The Story Of a Crime.

was asked the other day how many
cases had known. in my long expe-
rience as detective, of innocent people
being convicted and punished for the
crimes of others? My answer was:
''Only one, and the well worth
relating and reading.
began my detective career in Cana
da, and IN u locality where Justice made
swift work of evil-doers. had been
three years in the business, and had
done some very fair work, when IA very
sensational case was put into my hands.
Three miles from the city of B
lived retired merchant named Graf
! ton. He had fine mansion, elegant
grounds and plenty of money. but his
wife was an insane patient in his own
house, and the only child. boy of 10.
was half idiot. Grafton was n silent
partner in several concerns in the city.
but spent four-fifth of his time at
home. His wife was never seen, while
the young man lived more like wild
animal than human being. the greater
part OF his time being spent in the
woods and fields no matter what the
weather Grafton had rs coachman
gardener, and hired man n German
about 80 years of age, who had been in
the country about five years when first
saw him = the house. There were
three female servants, and one of them
was girl Is Yeas of age named Jen-
ME Price, whose mother was very re-
spectacle widow in the city. This girl
was allowed to 60 home every other
Saturday, and always rode in with
Frit,, the coachmany as he went to
market. ran home III an hour two, and
t6e,l returned by tbs same vehicle. 1t
was reported tbs.E ritz was in love
with and jeelo .g9,, 49,. VIII Grafton,
the halt IDIOT, i,sits OF laken shine
to her. but his attentions were laughed
to scorn by the pretty Jennie and her
companions.
Now. then. in the afternoon of GER
tain l4th of July several weighty in
cdents occurred. Fritz received let
tNi WIN - iplRiZh IONbiilil ~ aill was
very much excited He was seen run
ming to the barn with the letter IN his
hand, and, ten minutes later. was
heard shouting and storming to himself
as if greatly enraged and excited. The
servants said TO each other that he
must have received bad news, but none
of them went TO investigate and con-
sole him.
1t was Jennie's day to go home. but
Grafton was indisposed. Fritz sud
denly disappeared. and VIII was not al
lowed to drive the horses. The girl,
therefore, decided to set out on foot,
and take her chances of getting a lift
on the road. She left at o. clock in
the afternoon, and was TO return by
noon next day Saturday night it was
discovered that Fritz had left the house
>, and locality, not even asking for his
wages, while VIII had set off on one of
his erratIc excursions having been seen
by the cook to pack up some pro
visions.
Jennie did not return on Sunday or
Monday OF Tuesday, and Grafton
drove into town on Wednesday and
sent message to her house She had
not been home, and an investigation re-
vealed the fact that none of her friends
had seen her for two weeks. 1t was a
case of mysterious disappearance, "
and | came into it having little doubt
that - ,yo,,1d ,,,ru ont lilo tho ~, inrit -
of such cases. However when / had
learned that the girl was steady as
well as handsome, and that every body
had perfect confidence in her princi-
Piles. | went To the Grafton mansion to
begin my search there. This was on
Thursday morning, and it now seemed
pretty plain that some calamity had be-
fallen the girl. In an hour | learned
all the incidents related above. Graf
ton was very anxious in the matter,
telling me TO spare no expense, but
when / began to question VIII, the
young man turned ON his heel and
walked of. as if deaf and dumb. l,
however had a chance TO look over
made note of several things. A but
ton had been torn off his coat with
such force as to tear the cloth. He
had two scratches on the right cheek
and one on the right hand. One fin
ger of the left hand was tied up in 2
rag, and the cook. who tied it up fol
him, told me that something had bitten
him severely.
1t was quarter of m lie from the
house to the highway, with a carriage
road running straight from the front
door This road was taken by any OF
the servants who were going to town
on foot. BY making cut through the
wood they saved at least half a mile
in distance. The girl Jennie had been
seen to take this path on that Saturday,
and my search lay in that direction